chief called Setlin-ki-jash, and jealously guarded by him, resolved to
obtain them. Now this chief's daughter had a little babe, which, when
they all slept, Ne-kil-stlas killed, and taking the place of the
infant was fondly petted and cared for. When he found where the chief
kept the moon, he began to cry to see it, and continued so to do for a
long time, and until they opened the door into the apartment where the
moon was concealed, which seeing, Ne-kil-stlas instantly became a
raven and seizing it with his bill flew away to the Naas country. Here
the Indians gathered about him and begged to see the moon, of which
they had heard. Ne-kil-stlas agreed to let them see it if they would
give him all the oolachan fish which he desired, to which consenting,
he threw down the moon before them, which they in their wild delight
tossed so high in the air that it broke in pieces, and formed one part
the sun, another the moon, and the small fragments the stars.

* * * * *

Carvings.

The Hydas are distinguished for their superior skill, above that
possessed by any other aboriginal people on the continent, in carving
and mechanical arts and contrivances generally. Besides their great
columns, from 30 to 75 feet in height, covered with figures from top
to bottom, nearly every article used by them is carved to represent
either their totem crests, or some animal, bird or fish familiar to
their sight. House-posts, canoe-heads, stone axes, mauls and mortars,
fish-hooks and floats, seal-killing clubs, boxes of all kinds, cooking
and eating utensils, trays, spoons, ladles, medicine charms, masks,
rattles, whistles, gambling sticks, towes, and other articles, too
numerous to mention, are all carved. Their designs are often